Artist v. Inventor

Two thoughts collide in the brain, releasing a new Higgs boson of a thought, a new way of looking at things. The first thought, a remark by composer Philip Glass, that works of art should be presented anonymously. The second thought, an appreciation of four kitchen gadgets I use regularly -- an espresso hand press, a large French press coffee pot, a small coffee bean grinder, a small meat grinder -- each well designed, user friendly, efficient, perfect for the job at hand, each invented by someone known by few if anyone, the anonymous inventor. And the new thought, maybe artists would be anonymous if art were as useful as a kitchen gadget, if art was, well, practical, something that fit into the natural rhythm of a life, like a prayer or a ritual. And, of course, for some of us, this happens, but for the culture at large, art is something stuck in a museum or a library, apart from the daily routine.

Inventors are anonymous because what they make is more important than who they are.